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June 19, 2010

After hearing about Loving Hut at Vegan Pandamonium, I searched and found that there was one in Orlando. So, I knew I had to go for a visit. Loving Hut is an all vegan chain that focuses on Asian cuisine, but has some "Western" dishes and decadent drinks and desserts. It's totally inexpensive and all around a nice experience. However, people have described it as a "cult" because the televisions in the restaurant(s) preach veganism. Essentially, they're run by an organization that focuses on veganism and environmentally friendly practices. I support it, but I can understand how it'd turn some people off. That being said, the food was so good that nothing else mattered.

The appetizers I decided on were fresh summer rolls and golden nuggets. I was afraid the nuggets would just be heated up frozen soy nuggets, but boy was I wrong. These were plump, crisp, steamy and delicious! They weren't overly greasy but still had a great crunch, flavor and texture. Best I've ever had. Just looking at the picture is making my mouth water.

I knew I had to try the iced rose cappuccino, and I'm glad I did. It was beautifully presented and had a great flavor that wasn't too sweet or floral; it was just right.

For my entree I had the fabulous pho. I haven't had pho since I as an omnivore and I wasn't sure how a vegan pho would match up. Honestly, this was the best pho I've ever had. The "beef" had a great flavor and texture, the broth was delicious and the flavors were really authentic. It was served with a bunch of bean sprouts, basil and lime on the side, which I promptly dumped on the massive bowl of pho. The only negative was that there was some sort of "meat" that was really gelatinous and nearly inedible. I'm sure it was supposed to be that way (I'm not sure what meat it was mocking, so I can't be sure) but I didn't like it. Aside from that, this was spot on.

I rounded the meal with "cheesecake"! This is a dessert I've not had veganized before so I knew I had to have it. The flavor was pretty spot on; it tasted like your standard cheesecake. Good, but nothing extraordinary.

This morning I went to the farmer's market and my nose was immediately hit by the scents of this:

Yeah, I polished off nearly the entire bag. This kettle corn had no chance.

The gelatinous thing that was being mocked was probably beef tendon. Beef tendon is kind of gelatinous in texture... in the original pho it's prized as kind of a delicacy, from what I understand. Vegan pho- there's an idea! Wish I was there to try that...